DanceAspen

Laurel Jenny Winton

Founder & Executive Director

Laurel has been known as Jenny Winton through most of her professional career. In 2009 she joined the Joffrey Ballet and was an artist of the company for five years before she transitioned into the Broadway world and took on the role of “Penny” in the International Broadway Tour of “Dirty Dancing”. She fell in love with acting and Co-Starred on the CBS television series “BULL” before she joined one of her dream companies Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. Laurel created Dance Aspen in order to stay a part of the community and continue dancing with this local group of professionals she calls family.

Kaya Wolsey

Company Manager/Marketing/Artist

Kaya Wolsey is a dancer, choreographer and teacher residing in Aspen, CO. Kaya received her early ballet training at Wasatch Ballet Conservatory under the direction of her mother, Allison Wolsey. After receiving her BFA from the University of Utah, Kaya began her professional career with Ballet San Antonio in Texas and later joined SALT Contemporary Dance where she grew and honed her craft as a contemporary dancer. Most recently, Kaya was a member of Aspen Santa Fe Ballet and performed as a guest artist with South Dakota Ballet. Kaya has had the opportunity to work with and perform original works by many reputable choreographers including Nicolo Fonte, Jorma Elo, Alejandro Cerrudo, Peter Chu, and many more. Kaya is also an experienced and passionate teacher and choreographer.

Sammy Altenau

Sammy Altenau grew up in Southern California dancing at Dance Studio 84 under the tutelage of Carla Hunt Smallwood and at Cuizon ballet center with Lisa Cuizon. She was guided by Katherine Wolanske in modern and contemporary before attending the Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. Program in New York. She has performed works by William Forsythe, Mats Ek, Martha Graham, Alvin Ailey, Carolyn Dorfman, Robert Moses, Stefanie Batten-Bland, Claudia Schreier, etc. She has trained at Alonzo King Lines Ballet, The San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, Carolina Ballet, Arts Umbrella, and the Graham School. She danced with Graham II, Miriam Barbosa Dance, has performed as a guest artist for Adria Ferrali, director of the Danza in Arte a Pietrasanta, and performed as a semi finalist on ‘America’s Got Talent’ at Radio City Music Hall. She danced with Carolyn Dorfman dance for two years, and is thrilled to be moving to Aspen to partner with the local dancers of Dance Aspen.

Katherine Bolanos

Katherine Eberle Bolaños, a native of Oklahoma City, began her professional career at the age of fifteen with Ballet Oklahoma where she danced for seven years. As a guest artist with Long Beach Ballet, she toured extensively throughout Taiwan and China, performing the role of Jasmine in Aladdin. In 2004, she joined the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet under the direction of Jean-Philippe Malaty and Tom Mossbrucker, where she remained for 16 seasons. During her time in Aspen, Katherine enjoyed dancing all over the world in close to fifty ballets, twenty three of which were commissioned. She feels fortunate to have worked with and performed ballets by world renowned choreographers including Gerald Arpino,  Alejandro Cerrudo, Alexander Ekman, Jorma Elo, Nicolo Fonte, and many more. Katherine obtained her Associates in Psychology from Colorado Mountain College and is looking forward to her future endeavors. 

Marian Faustino

Marian Faustino received her formal dance training in the Philippines with the country’s two premier dance companies:  Ballet Manila and Ballet Philippines.  As a student and later as a company artist, she toured with both companies across the Philippines, Southeast Asia, Russia, and the United States.  In 2012, Marian joined Ballet Nouveau Colorado, and shortly became a pioneering member of the collaborative contemporary ballet company, Wonderbound.  Throughout her career, Marian has had the honor of dancing works by Sidra Bell, Alvin Ailey, Ma Cong, Alan Hineline, Kevin Jenkins, Jayne Persch, Maurya Kerr, Tony Fabella, & Agnes Locsin.  She has performed with The Lyric Opera of Chicago, Malashock Dance San Diego, The Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Owen Cox Dance Group, and David Taylor’s Zikr Dance Ensemble.  An experienced and dedicated dance educator, Marian graduated magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines with a Bachelor of Science in Child Development, holds certification in Progressing Ballet Technique, and Discover Dance Education for Preschool Age Children. She has also recently completed her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training, and the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Teacher Training Program.

Matthew Gilmore

Matthew Gilmore was born and raised in Canton, Massachusetts. He began his dance training at The Gold School and later went on to graduate from Walnut Hill School for the Arts. Matthew received his BFA from The Juilliard School in 2019. While at Juilliard, he had the honor of performing the works of Nacho Duato, Merce Cunningham, Jerome Robbins, José Limón, Alejandro Cerrudo, Jessica Lang and Roy Assaf. Matthew is a recipient of the 2018 Princess Grace Award in Dance. Most recently Matthew danced with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet.

Blake Krapels

Blake Krapels, a 2011 United States Presidential Scholar in the Arts, trained in New Jersey under the tutelage of Billy Larson and Jamie Salmon. In 2015 Blake graduated with a BFA in Dance from The Juilliard School, where he performed repertoire by William Forsythe, Merce Cunningham, Elliot Feld, Jose Limon, and Peter Chu. In addition to his core training, Blake participated in Summer Intensives at Nederlands Dans Theatre (2014 and 2016) and Springboard Danse Montreal (2013). After graduation, Blake has danced with The Metropolitan Opera, Keigwin & Company, GroundWorks Dance Theatre, Emery LeCrone Dance, Konverjdans and South Dakota Ballet. Most recently, Blake finished a fourth successful season as a company member of Philadelphia’s BalletX.

Madeleine Scott

Madeleine is an artist with Dance Aspen as well as the founder & artistic director of South Dakota’s first professional ballet company, South Dakota Ballet. Madeleine has danced professionally with companies including Ballet West, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (guest artist for 6 Nutcracker productions!), Sacramento Ballet, Musical Bridges (NYC), Yellowstone Ballet, Northern Ballet Theater and L.E.D. Boise (“Dance Magazine’s” 2019, Top 25 to Watch). Madeleine has trained closely with ballet icons such as Gelsey Kirkland, Violette Verdy, Patricia McBride, Jose Carreño, Zippora Karz & more. Madeleine’s diverse performing career includes work with Nelly, Flo Rida, & Walk the Moon as well as a performance in the Pro-Bowl Halftime Show in Hawaii & TedX Sioux Falls. She was a part of the ballet documentary “First Position”, the featured artist in several music videos for artists such as “Glass Houses” & a part of CWs hit reality show “Breaking Pointe” filmed in Salt Lake City. Madeleine earned her BFA in Ballet Pedagogy & BS in Nonprofits & Community Engagement from the University of Utah in 2017.

Myles Woolstenhulme

Guest Artist // Myles was hired as a company member with SALT Contemporary Dance in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2016 where he currently dances as a full time artist. Myles has performed Repertoire from choreographers: Peter Chu, Gustavo Ramirez, Banning Bouldin, Micaela Taylor, Ihsan Rustem, and more. Myles has a passion for learning and developing technical dance with abstract concepts. In 2017 Myles worked at Music Theatre of Wichita’s summer equity season which included; Seven Brides (Cho. Peggy Hickey), Hairspray (Cho. Al Blackstone) and Hunchback of Notre Dame (Cho. Nick Palmquist). Most recently Myles was honored to play the lead, Jerry Mulligan, in Hale Center Theatre’s regional premier of An American in Paris (Cho. Jenny Barlow) alongside his dear friend Juliet Doherty. Since closing the show, Myles and Juliet have performed selections from An American in Paris across the country in galas for organizations including Youth America Grand Prix. Myles was a guest artist for South Dakota Ballet in the summer of 2021. Selected to be a part of the gala performance “Only Human,” Myles performed a work by renowned choreographer, Eloy Barragen alongside friends and colleagues from around the country.